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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28134228">Border: Day One</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gnattygan/pseuds/Gnattygan'>Gnattygan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Enhypen Universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ENHYPEN (Band), I-LAND (Korea TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Border: Day One, Gen, Given Taken, Lost Memories, Mystery, Vampires, Wake up in day one</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:49:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28134228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gnattygan/pseuds/Gnattygan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunghoon wakes up in an abandoned village with no memory of who he is and how he got there.</p><p>This is a theory fic on the Enhypen universe. Events inspired by Teaser Trailers and Given-Taken MV, Chapter titles taken from Dusk/Dawn story covers included with album. Character pairings inspired by unit pics in the album.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Enhypen Universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1: Dusk - Chapter 1: Waken</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>“Wake up in day one. Morning of the first day.”</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>A gentle breeze blew through the abandoned village. The ash from the buildings that still stood, blew through the air and settled on the body of a shirtless boy who lay shivering in the cool air. The boy stirred, sitting up and looking around curiously. A red blanket covered the lower half of his body and he pulled it over his shoulders. He had dreamt he was in the woods, this blanket had been there covering his nakedness. He had been upset about something but he couldn’t remember what it was. It had been a dream so perhaps it didn’t matter.More importantly he couldn’t remember how he had got here. He couldn’t even remember where he was.</p><p>He couldn’t remember who he was.</p><p>The cold air blew over his skin but he didn’t mind it, he liked winter and the cold air brought him comfort. He lifted his hand to look at it. This was his hand, he knew that but he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. What that could be he had no idea. There were four fingers and a thumb, the nails were long just like he liked them. He didn’t know who he was but he could remember these trivial things. Remember that he liked winter and kept his nails long.</p><p>And he could remember his name. Sunghoon. He was Park Sunghoon. Who that was, he couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t he remember?</p><p>It was dusk and the sky was erupting in a bright array of oranges, reds and yellows. It was beautiful and the sight of it brought a tear to his eye as if the sun was setting on something that he would never see again. Or perhaps it was a memory of something he had forgotten. Perhaps this setting sun reminded him of something that he lost.</p><p>A sound from a house nearby drew his attention and his head jerked to attention. He drew the red blanket around him though he wasn’t cold. Perhaps he thought it would somehow protect him from the small figure that was crawling out of the rubble. Dirt was smudged on the figure’s face and white ruffled shirt. His hair was ruffled and he stood to his feet and did his best to brush the dirt from his clothes, frowning at the dark mark they left on the ruffles that cascaded down his front.</p><p>“Oh man this is my favorite shirt.” he sighed and looked up, cocking his head at Sunghoon, “I suppose you don’t remember me.” Sunghoon shook his head his long hair brushing against his forehead and tickling his ears. “I’m Sunoo, Kim Sunoo. We knew each other...before.”</p><p>Sunghoon wanted to ask what he meant. Before what? What had happened to this village? Why couldn’t he remember anything before today? And why was Sunoo giving him that strange look?</p><p>Sunoo looked up at the dusk colored sky and frowned. “The moon will rise soon.” His sad eyes drifted toward Sunghoon and he held him in a piercing gaze, the unique brown color of the boys eyes, holding him for a moment, “We should get to The Island before it rises completely.”</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sunghoon still didn’t say anything. There was too much to process, too many questions to ask and he didn’t know what to ask first, so he just didn’t say anything. Sunoo stood to his feet and turned toward the woods that surrounded the village, leaping from shadow to shadow as if the failing sun might reveal all his secrets and perhaps it would.</p><p>Sunghoon stood to follow him, pulling the red blanket tighter around his shoulders. What was this island that Sunoo was leading him to? He could smell the forest, and the ashes that blew in the breeze but the scent of water was no where to be found.</p><p>He didn’t know why he trusted Sunoo or why he followed him into the woods. Perhaps it was something from the past he had forgotten that told him he could trust this younger boy. And so Sunghoon followed him into the woods as the full moon rose in the sky.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 2: Moon</p><p>Heeseung stood to his feet and for a moment he thought the boys eyes turned red as he studied Sunghoon. “I’m sorry you have to experience this again.“</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p><p>I will be posting each day through the end of the year, stay tuned!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 1: Dusk, Chapter 2: Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“Countless stars, countless moons. I was wandering through a forest of questions.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The Island as it turned out was not a mass of land in the middle of a body of water, as Sunghoon had assumed. Rather it was a large castle in the middle of the woods. The architect, Sunoo explained, had called it The Island because it was a refuge in the middle of a dark wood. “The man was something of a mad scientist but he disappeared 200 years ago when the village burned down. And now...well we live here, where it’s safe and secluded.”</p><p>Sunghoon didn’t respond but he couldn’t help but wonder who ‘we’ was. Sunghoon’s jaw was beginning to hurt like a great weight was settling over him. He clenched his jaw and Sunoo looked at him with concern. He expected the younger boy to question him or ask if he was ok but he only seemed to see the pain as a greater reason to push him forward. His whole body was beginning to ache now and the sounds and smells were becoming more distinct. The dim lights too bright.</p><p>The Island opened up with a great whir and grinding of moving gears and Sunoo pushed him inside. Leading him him though the rotating door and into a well furnished living room, the full moon shining down through the open ceiling. An older boy was sitting on a couch two others lounging against him, all in the white ruffled shirts.</p><p>The boy looked at him with an intense glare, his fierce eyes sweeping over Sunghoon, appraising him. He lifted a glass of red wine to his lips, the cross shaped earring swaying slowly as he moved. He could vaguely hear Sunoo introducing them but a rushing sound flooded his ears and he barely made out the older boys name. Lee Heeseung. </p><p>Heeseung stood to his feet and for a moment he thought the boys eyes turned red as he studied Sunghoon. “I’m sorry you have to experience this again. The first night is always the hardest.” Sunghoon didn’t know what Heeseung was saying. The two boys that had been lounging against Heeseung, studied him with a worried look. He had barely heard Sunoo’s introduction. The dark haired one was Jake and the blond was Niki. But if there was more to those introductions he couldn’t hear them.</p><p>He fell to his knees and Heeseung knelt beside him looking at him with those intense eyes. He was positive they were red now, a realization that should have unnerved him more than it did. “You need to breathe, it will make the process easier. Don’t fight it.”</p><p>Fight what. He didn’t know what was happening, so he just clutched his head and focused on what his body needed from him. The bright light of the full moon shone through the window and cascaded across his still bare back. he tasted blood and realized he had bit his lip, the taste was sweeter than he would have expected and he looked down at his hand as he had in the village. There was still something missing. Still something he couldn’t place.</p><p>Sunoo’s hand slipped into his and he looked into the boys sad eyes, eyes that now glowed red like Heeseung’s and somehow he knew that his did too. Sunoo smiled weakly keeping his lips sealed tight over his teeth, but Sunghoon knew, knew because he could feel them in his own mouth, that Sunoo hid fangs behind that smile.</p><p>“How do you feel?” Sunghoon looked up at Heeseung, that cross earring catching the moonlight and scattering the moonlight in a little dance across the older’s face.</p><p>Sunghoon nodded, unsure if he’d be able to speak through his restricted lungs. Niki sighed from where he still lounged on the couch and threw himself back over the cushions with an exasperated sigh. As if the transformation was old hat and boring. Sunghoon supposed that for them it was.</p><p>Heeseung still kneeled beside Sunghoon as if making sure that he really was adjusting well, “I’m sure you have questions.” He paused and Jake laughed coldly.</p><p>“Knowing him he’s got too many to even put into words so he’ll just sit there trying to process until we all die of old age.”</p><p>Niki laughed at this as if they shared a joke that Sunghoon didn’t understand. “Old age?” He desolved into giggles at this and Jake joined in until Heeseung sent a glare that shut them both up.</p><p>Heeseung turned his attention back toward Sunghoon, “Well to confirm the first question I’m sure you have, we’re vampires. The seven of us have been hiding in this Island for 200 years. Unfortunately there was a situation and you...fell asleep for a little while. We thought waking up out there in a more natural surrounding might be less disorienting.”</p><p>Sunoo nodded, “I suggested it! It was so loud and bright here when I woke up and everyone was talking at once and crowding me. I thought it would be easier if it was just me there to greet you.”</p><p>Sunghoon nodded and looked curiously around the room, remembering suddenly that Heeseung had mentioned seven vampires. But looking around the room there were only five including himself. There were still a hundred questions tumbling around his mind but he decided to voice the one that was suddenly loudest. “You said there were seven of us?”</p><p>Heeseung nodded but a frown creased his brow. Sunoo’s hand tightened on his shoulder and he heard the boy swallow. Even Niki and Jake who were still joking around on the couch, suddenly became quiet and Sunghoon wondered if he had said something wrong.</p><p>Heeseung sighed, “Jungwon and Jay. They’re here too but they like to do their own thing.”</p><p>“They act like they’re better than us,” Niki chimed in and Jake let out an annoyed growl.</p><p>Heeseung nodded, frustration evident on his face. “They’re in denial. They don’t want to admit what they are and hide out in this little shack in the woods. I’m sure you’ll see them skulking around here eventually. They always show up when it rains.” Heeseung looked up through the skylight at the clouds that were moving over the full moon, “I expect they’ll show their faces any time now.”</p><p>Sunoo pulled on Sunghoon’s blanket causing it to fall off his shoulder. “Don’t worry about them. Let’s get you some clothes and I’ll show you around.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 3: Rain</p><p>He reached up to fix Sunghoon’s hair but Sunghoon seized his wrist. “I hate it when you do that.”</p><p>Sunoo smiled one of the bright and rare smiles, “You remember that?”</p><p>Thanks for reading! Check in tomorrow for chapter 3!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Part 1: Dusk, Chapter 3: Rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“It was an arrow of fate in the rain.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>A soft rain had begun to fall and Sunghoon found comfort in the sound of the rain drops falling on the tin roof of The Island. Sunoo dragged him through the hallways showing him brightly colored rooms. “This is my bed” he said crawling into the giant purple bed that seemed to swallow him.</p><p>Sunghoon opened the closet that he had been directed to. It was filled with stiff clothes similar to the ones Sunoo wore. He selected a white shirt and a tan vest, forgoing the black suit coat hanging next to it. He pulled on the clothes, turning to the mirror to inspect his look. His breath caught, he had forgotten, vampires didn’t have reflections. He turned to Sunoo, “Why do we have mirrors if we can’t use them?”</p><p>Sunoo just shrugged and jumped to his feet, pulling a dark red scarf and a rose brooch from the desk and securing them around Sunghoon’s neck. “Perfect.”</p><p>He reached up to fix Sunghoon’s hair but Sunghoon seized his wrist. “I hate it when you do that.”</p><p>Sunoo smiled one of the bright and rare smiles, “You remember that.”</p><p>Sunghoon nodded and let go of the boys wrist, “I guess I do.” he brushed his hand through his black hair, letting it fall back over his forehead. He didn’t know if it had fallen the way he liked it but he knew that when Sunoo touched his hair it always ended up too cute.</p><p>Sunoo faked an offended look, but pranced toward the door excitedly. “Come on I’ve got a whole castle to show you.”</p><p>Sunghoon followed the smaller boy through the hallways of The Island only half listening as Sunoo chattered excitedly about the different things he showed him. The rain was coming down harder and his mind kept drifting toward those two mysterious vampires that Heeseung had said returned with the rain.</p><p>Would he meet them? Would he like them? Would they like him? Did it matter? He supposed it did if they were going to be spending eternity together. “How long have you been here, Sunoo?”</p><p>Sunoo looked up at him and tilted his head as if trying to remember. “It’s been quite awhile but...well I only remember the last few months. I woke up just a little before you did. Heeseung says we’ve been here for a long time about 200 years.”</p><p>“200? Isn’t that how long it’s been since the village was destroyed.”</p><p>Sunoo nodded, “But even Heeseung doesn’t remember that day. We just know there was a fire and the man who built this castle disappeared.”</p><p>Sunghoon didn’t know why this revelation made him feel sick. He clutched his head as if to keep the memories that pressed against it, safely tucked away. Sunoo seemed to notice and frowned. “Don’t try to remember. It will only hurt you. We all have the nightmares. Things from our past that push to escape. But it’s best those things are left in the past. Those people. The people in the village. They were known for being vampire hunters. Anything we might remember from that time...it won’t be worth remembering. This is who we are now.”</p><p>Sunghoon nodded and the pressure on his head eased. Sunoo continued to lead him through the hallways of The Island until something caught Sunghoon’s attention and caused him to stop. Pictures hung on the wall, pictures that shouldn’t exist if they were vampires, pictures he didn’t remember. “What are these?”</p><p>Sunoo came to his side and tilting his head with that fox-like look that made him so cute. He remembered that too, he realized, it was a thought that came from some distant experience that he didn’t know. Sunoo looked up at the large pictures hanging on the wall. The seven of them, including two he assumed to be Jungwon and Jay, all wore black and white uniforms and surrounded what looked like a silver throne. “What is that? That throne, I feel like I should know it.”</p><p>There was a sharp laugh from behind them and Sunghoon spun to see the remaining two boys who were with them in the picture. The blond one, that he somehow knew to be Jay stood slightly behind the dark haired one.</p><p>Jungwon’s dark eyes, focused sharply on Sunghoon. “You don’t remember the throne?” Sunghoon didn’t answer and Jungwon shook his head in a kind of knowing disbelief. Jay placed his hand on Jungwon’s shoulder comfortingly but the younger boy ignored it. “That throne is the cause of all our problems.” Jay made a weird sound in the back of his throat and Jungwon corrected himself, “Not all our problems but...it’s the reason you don’t remember anything.”</p><p>Sunghoon looked back up at the picture in surprise, looking at that face that he knew to be his own even though he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his own reflection. There must have been a time. A time when he wasn’t a vampire. He was in this picture so that was proof enough. He looked back at Jungwon, “What is it?”</p><p>Jungwon looked up at the picture sadly, the rain pouring down harder. “It happens on nights like this one. When the sky is sad, as sad as your heart. When you sit on that throne...you forget who you are.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 4: Doubt</p><p>You remembered something but you chose to forget it again. I guess we’ve all been doing that. For 200 years we’ve chosen to sit on that throne rather than remember those that we lost.”</p><p>Thanks for reading! I won’t be posting tomorrow. Partially because I’ll be busy and partly to make sure that I don’t need to change anything after the “Cube 20” MV releases. But be sure to check back in on Monday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Part 1: Dusk, Chapter 4: Doubt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“Thousands of doubts behind me. There are tens of thousands I distrust behind me.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jungwon’s words settled over Sunghoon and sent a chill through his bones. That throne, the one he sat on in the picture...it was the reason he couldn’t remember who he was? “Did, did I know what it would do when I sat on it?”</p>
<p>Jungwon shook his head sadly, “Not the first time, none of us could have known that first time.”</p>
<p>“But...I sat on it again. This last time, I knew what would happen to me?” This time Jungwon nodded the sadness still etched into his face. “Then why did I sit on it again?”</p>
<p>“You wanted to forget.”</p>
<p>“Forget what?”</p>
<p>Jungwon shook his head “Who knows. It’s been 200 years and yet not even Heeseung can remember past 50 years ago. How many times has that throne been sat on in 200 years? Would you be able to keep count if you could remember the decades that have past? There are a million reasons to forget when you’ve lived that long. Would you sit on that throne for each one? Would you choose to live with that pain or would you choose to forget over and over?”</p>
<p>Sunoo’s voice piped up from behind Sunghoon, “You were such a great help to me when I woke up 6 months ago. But you...there was a fight with Heeseung. I don’t know what it was about but when you burst into the room you told me you were going to find the throne. Said you couldn’t bear to remember what you had learned. You were clutching that red blanket in your hand. Holding it so tightly I thought it might burst into flame. You remembered something but you chose to forget it again. I guess we’ve all been doing that. For 200 years we’ve chosen to sit on that throne rather than remember those that we lost.”</p>
<p>“You said they were vampire hunters. The people of the village were vampire hunters.” Sunoo nodded, “So the people we would have known there, they probably turned on us. Our own families...they probably tried to kill us.”</p>
<p>Jungwon and Jay didn’t say anything but Sunoo nodded, “Who wants to remember that. That’s why I told you not to try to remember. The nightmares are bad enough.”</p>
<p>Sunghoon nodded but curiosity burned within him. What had he wanted to forget? Was there something more that Heeseung was hiding from him. He looked down at his hand at the lines that creased his palm and the long nails that extended past the tips of his fingers. It was familiar and yet he still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something missing. The hand was his and yet there was something strange about it that he couldn’t place.</p>
<p>Somehow he knew that the answers he sought were in that village. “I’m going back.”</p>
<p>“Back? Back where?” Sunoo looked at him with wide, fearful eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m going back to the village. I’m going to find what I’ve forgotten.”</p>
<p>Jungwon held him with that piercing gaze. “You might not like what you find.”</p>
<p>Sunghoon nodded, “I know.”</p>
<p>Jay scoffed and crossed his hands over his chest, “You sat on the throne for a reason. You chose to forget and now you’re going to go looking for the answers again? Are you just going to keep going around in circles remembering and forgetting? What if there’s a limit? What if one time you sit on that throne and it takes away more than your memories.”</p>
<p>“What more could it take?”</p>
<p>Jay stared at him, anger burning in his gaze and Sunghoon felt a sense of deja vu. He had seen that look in Jay’s eyes before, heard him say words similar to these. Not to him...but to Jake.</p>
<p>“There are things the throne doesn’t erase. But it never takes who you are. You still remembered your name when you woke up didn’t you? Remembered little things about who you are even though you had no memories attached to those feelings?”</p>
<p>Sunghoon nodded remembering how he had remembered liking winter. How he trusted Sunoo even though he didn’t remember knowing him. Remembered that look in Jay’s eyes even though he couldn’t remember the circumstances that he had seen it before. It was the same reason he knew that there was something wrong with his hand even though he couldn’t place what it was.</p>
<p>Still he had to know. Perhaps he would want to forget again. Perhaps it would be too much for him as it had been in the past. Jungwon was looking at him with a look he couldn’t quite place as if waiting for something. Sunghoon took in a shaky breath. “Maybe I won’t like what I find.” He looked into Jungwon’s eyes. Something told him that Jungwon was testing him, as if he could judge Sunghoon’s determination and judge whether things would be different this time. “But I feel like this time I can take it.”</p>
<p>“What makes you think this time will be different?” Jay asked, the bite in his tone unmistakable. “What makes you think you’ll suddenly be able to handle it when you never have in the past?”</p>
<p>“You said it yourself.” He held Jay’s gaze in challenge. He wasn’t afraid of this boy. He talked a lot, but Sunghoon had a lingering feeling that the boy was secretly a softy. It must have been one of those disconnected impressions that hadn’t been erased. “The throne doesn’t erase everything. I don’t know how many times I’ve chosen to forget but I do know that whatever I chose to forget is still in there. My subconscious is still processing it without my knowledge. Eventually, I’ll learn the truth and it won’t be such a surprise. Eventually it won’t be so hard to accept and I’ll be able to move forward through it. I won’t know if I don’t keep trying to remember.”</p>
<p>Jungwon was still staring at him, holding Sunghoon in that piercing gaze. “Maybe this time will be different.”</p>
<p>Jay looked down at the younger boy in surprise. “You really think he’ll be able to bear it?”</p>
<p>“Like he said, there’s only one way to find out. You should go to the village. The answers you seek can be found there.” Without another word Jungwon turned and disappeared down the hallway, Jay following close behind him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 5: Crossroad</p>
<p>Heeseung pulled an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him.<br/>“I gave you this last night and you didn’t like what you saw.”</p>
<p>I Hope you’re enjoying the story so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Part 1: Dusk, Chapter 5: Crossroad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“The crossroads within me that I’m facing. Was it given or taken.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“I thought we were going to the village?” Sunoo stumbled as he tried to keep up with Sunghoon’s long strides but the older boy didn’t slow down. Not until they reached the door to the living room. Sunghoon reached up to touch the red scarf Sunoo had put around his neck</p><p>“You said this last time I chose to forget that I got into a fight with Heeseung. That it has something to do with that blanket I woke up in.” Sunoo nodded and Sunghoon stuck out his tongue in concentration, “I need to know what that fight was about.”</p><p>“But you were so upset about it before. What if you want to forget again?”</p><p>He was at a crossroad. He could stop here. Let the mystery lie in the past. Learn to enjoy what they had as Heeseung had for the last 50 years. He had moved on, left the secrets of the past in the past. Sunghoon could choose to do the same.</p><p>But this other road drew him. He wanted to know what Heeseung had revealed to him. “I can’t let it rest, Sunoo. Not until I know everything. Not until I know it all and can accept it. I don’t want to be afraid.”</p><p>Sunoo didn’t say anything but his eyes were wide with fear. Sunghoon pushed open the door and the two entered the too bright living room. There had been far too much going on the first time to realize it but now that he was longer in the middle of a transformation it struck him as odd that the room was so bright considering what they were.</p><p>Heeseung was sitting on that couch as he had been when Sunghoon had first met him. Or at least first remembered meeting him. The moonlight no longer shone through the skylight but the stars still twinkled brightly.</p><p>Heeseung was watching them patiently but Niki sighed loudly as he threw himself back on the couch as if annoyed that they’d returned. Jake folded his arms over his chest showing his annoyance in his own way. The ribbon that tied Heeseung’s shirt closed had come loose revealing his pale chest.</p><p>Sunghoon stared down at Heeseung, “I want to know.”</p><p>“Know what?” Heeseung didn’t look up at him as he swirled the wine in his glass.</p><p>“Whatever it was you told me...before I sat on the throne.”</p><p>Sunghoon expected to argue with the older boy. He had gone over and over his argument a hundred times as they had walked through the dim hallways.But Heeseung just pulled an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him.</p><p>“I gave you this last night and you didn’t like what you saw.” He looked up through the window above them, at the stars twinkling in the now-cloudless sky. “It might be awhile before it rains again. You may have to dwell with this for weeks before you can erase it again.”</p><p>Sunghoon snatched the envelope off the table and left the room without a word. Sunoo followed him to the purple room and climbed up into his huge bed. He stretched his arms above his head with a wide yawn that revealed his fangs. “Are you going to open it.” He mumbled through his yawn. Sunghoon realized he was staring down at the envelope in his hand and stuck out his tongue in a frown.</p><p>“I think I have to. I don’t think I can wait till the next rain. I might go mad not knowing what’s in here.”</p><p>“And you might go mad knowing and not be able to forget.” Sunghoon pulled up the flap of the envelope and pulled out the paper within. “What is it?” Sunoo leaned over the edge of the bed trying to get a better look.</p><p>Sunghoon didn’t look up from the paper in his hand. “A news article. About my sister.”</p><p>“Your sister?!” Sunoo jumped up, any tiredness he had felt melting away. He climbed onto the bed beside Sunghoon and pulled the article from his frozen hands. Sunghoon didn’t move as Sunoo scanned the article. “How do you know this is your sister?”</p><p>Sunghoon’s mind was whirling. He just knew. Just like he just knew everything he’d learned in the last 10 hours. But other memories were suddenly flooding over him. He looked down at his hand. The one that had been holding the news article. The one that looked so strange. Something was lingering close to the surface like he could almost place what was wrong but it was just out of reach.</p><p>Sunoo looked down at the article, the picture of two children draped in that red blanket sending a shiver through him. Sunghoon stood to his feet suddenly and headed toward the door. “Where are you going?”</p><p>“To the village. Jungwon said there were answers there.” For a moment he paused with his hand on the door handle. “My sister died in the fire.” He looked down at his hand again. “And I think I started it. I think I killed my sister.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 6: Two Worlds</p><p>Sunghoon stopped in the middle of the overgrown road. He scanned the buildings, unsure where to go next. Sunoo had turned his attention toward a house nearby and tilted his head in that fox-like way. Without a word he moved toward the house and for lack of any other direction, Sunghoon followed him.</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Part 1: Dusk, Chapter 6: Two Worlds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“I’m walking to you to connect two worlds.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The rain had stopped though it still dripped from the leaves so that Sunghoon’s hair was plastered against his forehead by the time they got to the village. Sunoo had insisted on joining him and had followed him through the woods like a cheerful shadow.</p><p>Sunghoon didn’t know where he was going but he trusted his instincts to lead him through the village toward something.</p><p>“Heeseung said they used to do experiments here.” Sunoo shuddered at the thought. “He said they used to do all these things to find vampires, like check their teeth and shine lights in their eyes to see if they glowed. He said they would dissect them and put their hearts in jars to study.”</p><p>Sunghoon shuddered. It was no wonder they had fled to The Island. No wonder that they had all chosen to forget again and again for 200 years. This body was only what 18? 19? What had had they all gone through at such a young age? Had their own families shone those lights in their eyes? What had they done to keep from being found out?</p><p>Sunghoon stopped in the middle of the overgrown road. He scanned the buildings, unsure where to go next. Sunoo had turned his attention toward a house nearby and tilted his head in that fox-like way. Without a word he moved toward the house and for lack of any other direction, Sunghoon followed him. Sunoo burst into the house, moving through it with a determination that Sunghoon could only assume had to do with his own forgotten memories.</p><p>The younger boy finally stopped before a closed door, hesitating. “What is it?” Sunghoon asked.</p><p>“I’m not sure.” Sunoo responded. “I just feel like through this door...is something I wanted to forget.” He looked up at Sunghoon and bit his lip, the sharp tip of his tooth causing him to bleed, “I don’t think I’m as brave as you. I don’t think I want to know what I forgot.”</p><p>Sunghoon motioned toward the door. “May I?”</p><p>Sunoo nodded enthusiastically and stepped back to let Sunghoon open the door. The moonlight shone through a large window and fell across the wardrobe and dusty toys of a nursery. Sunoo clung to Sunghoon’s vest as the older stepped into the room.</p><p>Sunghoon supposed he might have been in this room at some point but he didn’t remember it. Didn’t think being here would help much. He was about to turn around when he noticed that Sunoo no longer clung to him. He was crouched down in the middle of the room, something in his hands. He stood up, looking down at what looked to be a teddy bear.</p><p>Sunoo looked up at Sunghoon. “I think I remember. Not everything but I remember this nursery. I remember...” He turned to look around, looked up at the moonlight shining through the cracked window. “I remember Jungwon. We were in this room together. I think I bit him.”</p><p>“You bit Jungwon? Before he was a vampire?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” He looked down at the teddy bear. “Did we know each other that long ago? You know before?”</p><p>“Of course we did.” Jungwon’s voice spoke up through the nursery door. “We all grew up in this town. You saw it yourself in that picture in the hallway. Those black coats we were wearing, those were our school uniforms.”</p><p>Sunghoon stepped forward. “What do you know about the fire?”</p><p>“It was a long time ago.”</p><p>“Yes but you know something, you know that I set the fire. You know why.”</p><p>Sunoo pulled on Sunghoon’s sleeve, “Stop it! Jungwon doesn’t remember that day any better than the rest of us. Heeseung has been awake the longest and even he doesn’t remember. If Heeseung doesn’t remember then we can’t expect Jungwon to remember. He doesn’t even stay at The Island.”</p><p>“You’re right.” Jungwon held Sunghoon’s gaze, his eyes shone red for a moment, reminding Sunghoon that the boy was also a vampire. And yet there was something so utterly human in the boys eyes. “Jay and I don’t stay at The Island. We find the memories suffocating. But we haven’t just been wasting our time out in the woods.”</p><p>Jungwon bent down to pick up a paper airplane off the ground, giving it a little whirl around the room. Suddenly Sunghoon understood. “You gave Heeseung the article!”</p><p>“More like left it where he would find it. Heeseung likes to feel useful. He likes to know things. I think he’s always been like that.” He smiled fondly at some flicker of a memory that he probably couldn’t even remember. He looked out the window to the sky beyond. “The sun will be coming up soon. And I think...” He paused as if wondering if he should continue. “Maybe it’s time to share what I’ve uncovered...what Jay and I have been hiding out there in our little shack in the woods.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’ll be taking a two day break for the holiday and will be back on Saturday with the start of Part 2.</p><p>Hope you’re enjoying the story so far and have a great holiday if you celebrate!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 1: Calling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“You are calling me beyond the thin line.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon bent over the stack of papers scattered across the floor of the small shack. Pictures of The Island spread before him, news articles from a time long gone and pages from books by authors way past their time. He was getting close he could feel it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It had been 30 years since the last time Heeseung had sat on the throne. Jungwon kept expecting him to sit on it again but Heeseung had grown content in his forgetfulness. He didn’t try to remember and instead set himself up as a king of sorts over The Island and the others trusted him cause he had been awake longest.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon couldn’t remember the last time he had talked to his friends in The Island. They had forgotten about him and it was better that way. It gave him time to learn everything he could about the Architect.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The door of the shack slammed and Jungwon jumped as Jay burst into the room. He hadn’t realized how focused he had become he hadn’t even sensed Jay coming. Jay set the pail down beside the door and threw himself down on the cot with a sigh.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Did you find anything?” Jungwon asked eagerly.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jay threw the car keys at his head, barely missing, “Why don’t you go into the city if you’re so eager.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon looked back at the pages spread across the floor, unbothered by Jay’s frustration, “You know this body’s too young to drive so stop acting like a child.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Thought this might interest you.” He tossed the paper at Jungwon and crossed back to the door to look out the window.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon took the page, unfolding it, his eyes widening and darting back up to meet Jay’s, “I think we should go introduce ourselves to those in The Island.” He took the page and folded it expertly into a paper airplane and gently tucked it into his coat pocket.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He scanned the other pages on the floor and selected one. Holding it up so Jay could see it clearly. The older boy read the headline out loud. “‘Park Yeji, Pulls Older Brother From Frozen Pond.’” Jay frowned, “Was that one of us?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon lowered the page and looked down at it in his lap, “Yeji was Sunghoon’s sister. She died in the fire. If anything will bring his memories back, she will.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What are you going to do, waltz into The Island and force that into Sunghoon’s hand?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon laughed dryly. “Not at all, it’s probably best that we don’t disturb what they’ve created there. If we’re not careful, Heeseung will see us as a threat. He doesn’t remember us, so bursting in, making demands will do nothing but turn them against us.” Jungwon placed the article flat on the ground and folded it into a paper airplane.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He lifted and gave it a little toss, watching with satisfaction as it drifted around the room and landed in Jay’s lap. “This should do the trick. They still believe in magic, they don’t understand science like we do. They still think those blood vials in the ice box fill on their own and that the new clothes and their favorite shampoos are an everlasting supply. They’re still children in that respect not questioning where things come from.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jay nodded, rubbing his fingers along the folds of the airplane so they were more pronounced. “It’s better that way. The world has changed so much, they would be lost in it.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jungwon’s hand drifted to where he had tucked the page Jay had brought him. “They would be. And that’s exactly why I’m so afraid they won’t listen when the time comes.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Standing in the nursery with Sunghoon and Sunoo was like something out of a dream. A memory Jungwon could hardly remember. It was familiar to him, the toys still littered the floor, the failing moon shone through the cracked window, sending an eerie light through the room. His hand went to his neck as the lingering memory pressed to be remembered.</p>
<p>Sunoo had bit him in this room. He shook his head clear. It wasn’t an experience he wanted to remember so he didn’t allow it to come closer to the surface. There was a sound near the door and Jay peeked his head in. “We’re here.”</p>
<p>Heeseung and the other two boys stood behind him. Niki looked around the room, eyes wide. “I don’t like this room. Can we go somewhere else?”</p>
<p>Jake nodded, “I saw a house up the path a ways. It didn’t look like it had been burned at all.”</p>
<p>A chill went through Jungwon, was he talking about that house at the top of the hill?</p>
<p>Heeseung crossed his arms over his chest, “Makes sense. That was probably the mayors house, they always built those kinds of houses bigger than the rest and separate enough that a fire wouldn’t have spread to it easily.”</p>
<p>“Let’s go,” Sunghoon brushed past Jungwon and Jay, Sunoo close on his heels.</p>
<p>Jungwon swallowed. Jay stood beside him, watching as the others hurried off in the direction of the house on the hill. “The mayor’s house. That’s where all this began.” Jungwon just nodded, “I don’t think I’ve stepped into that room, since the fire, I think I always knew that things would start coming back if I did. I don’t think I’m ready to remember.”</p>
<p>Jungwon nodded again but didn’t say anything. He wasn’t totally sure he was ready either.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 2: Sun</p>
<p>Heeseung laughed, his full smile and bright teeth, taking up half his face. “You worry too much, Jungwon. We’re not going to forget you. There’s as little chance of me forgetting you as there is of me forgetting my own brother.”</p>
<p>Hope you all had a great holiday time. I will be posting every day now until the end of the year!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 2: Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“I go now to follow the dream. Dive into that red sun, no lie.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The air was getting cold like it had been that day when they had first become vampires. Had it really been five years already? How many times had they sat on the throne in that time? How many more times would they? Jungwon was losing count. The more the throne was sat on, the more he felt the others slipping from him. He didn’t belong among them anymore. They wouldn’t agree of course.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had voiced his thoughts once. Sunoo had laughed and grabbed his hand pulling him into the room as they danced, “Show me how to fold an airplane, Jungwon” He had showed the boy a million times but Sunoo enjoyed being shown. Heeseung had smiled and placed his hands on Jungwon’s shoulders, leaning down to whisper comfortingly in the younger boys ear. “You’re one of us, Jungwon, nothing can erase that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon had gnawed at his lip thinking of the full moon that was coming. Of the transformation they would all experience again. “I’m just afraid you’ll forget about me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Heeseung laughed, his full smile and bright teeth, taking up half his face. “You worry too much, Jungwon. We’re not going to forget you. There’s as little chance of me forgetting you as there is of me forgetting my own brother.” Heeseung had looked up at Jay then, smiling proudly as his younger brother plucked out the chords on the piano, Sunoo bobbing his head happily to the rhythm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But Heeseung’s words didn’t change the fact that Jungwon still felt out of place among them. Some days he would climb up that hill only to find himself pressing his face to the window, looking into that room as they danced around without him. He knew he did it to himself. Knew that they wouldn’t turn him away if he opened the door and let the music wash over him. Knew that if he let him, Niki would pull him into a dance that would make him forget everything.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sometimes he did open that door and allow himself to be swept away in their bliss. But in the end, he always found himself curled up on that chair watching them. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t forget what they were. The throne couldn’t erase it, so there was no point in denying it. They were vampires and one day they would be found out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Those moments had happened so many times in the last 5 years. Even if the throne didn’t exist there was no way he could remember every one of them. As Jungwon made his way up the hill toward that house, he smelled smoke. Something was burning. A lot of something. His vampire sense could smell every detail. It wasn’t just the houses that burned.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He ran to the top of the hill and looked down at the village, consumed with fire. He scanned the houses for any sign of his friends. He saw Heeseung running toward him. “Jungwon, thank goodness you’re safe. We have to get out of here. They know what we are. We’re not safe!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What about the others?” Jungwon said, his narrow eyes widening in the shock of it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Niki and Sunoo went to get Jake and I was going to go find Jay.” He nodded toward the house. “I think Sunghoon’s still in the house.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon nodded, “I’ll get him and meet you all back at The Island” Heeseung barely took the time to nod before rushing down the hill toward the woods and the shack that Jay often sought refuge in. Jungwon turned toward the house. Sunghoon’s house.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The older boy sat on the couch as if the world didn’t burn behind him. “Sunghoon we have to get out of here. The village is burning.” Sunghoon just looked at him as if not registering what Jungwon was saying. “Didn’t you hear me? The village is burning. We have to go.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sunghoon still didn’t move from the couch, didn’t look at Jungwon. “I know.” Sunghoon lifted his hand, studying the lines of his hand and the curve of his fingers as if there was something strange about it. To Jungwon’s surprise and horror the older boys hand erupted in flame. “I started the fire after all.”<br/>
</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon’s mind spun. Why had he done this? How long had he had this ability? What was going on? Sunghoon tore his gaze away from the fire consuming his hand and focused on Jungwon. “They know what we are, Jungwon. This was the only way.” He stood to his feet. “But don’t worry, I can already smell the rain in the wind. Tomorrow we won’t remember any of this.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>They climbed the hill toward that house. The sun was just beginning to peak it’s head over the tops of the trees. That house that had once held so many happy memories, but now just contained all the things they had desperately tried to forget. Jungwon wondered if they would be able to handle it. To remember now after all these years? Would it be too much for them or would they all go racing off in search of that throne that had erased it all on that rainy night 200 years ago?</p><p>Heeseung pushed open the door to the mayor’s house, the hinges creaked from 2 century’s of disuse, but the door held up and they all made their way inside. To the left was an elaborately furnished living room, a single couch and single arm chair were pressed against one wall, a threadbare rug covering the marble floor. A piano was tucked in one corner and a narrow desk in another. Various pictures and a cuckoo clock hung on the wall. Just beyond the room opened into a larger room with tall floor to ceiling windows. Six narrow tables filled that room. A record player and a small desk were in the corner.</p><p>“I...I remember this place.” Niki’s low voice spoke up from the back of the group and he pushed forward taking in the room.</p><p>Jay stepped toward the piano, opening the cover and letting his fingers drift over the familiar keys. Heeseung crossed to his side. Studying the keys and Jay, a frown playing on his brow. “Play something.” He said and then quickly backtracked, “I don’t know why I said that, I...” But Jay was already playing, his fingers moving across the keys in a haunting melody, making the already eerie room even more terrifying.</p><p>The song stopped suddenly as if Jay suddenly forgot the notes. Or perhaps he had suddenly realized what he was doing. Sunoo shivered, “I didn’t like that at all. What a creepy song.”</p><p>Niki laughed, “I didn’t think you got scared that easily.”</p><p>Sunoo gave him a spiteful look, a chilling effect for someone who was normally so childlike. “I don’t, but surely even you can admit that that was terrifying.”</p><p>No one said anything for a moment, letting the notes sink into their souls, stirring up memories they had long forgotten. Finally, Heeseung spoke, “When was the last time you played piano?”</p><p>Jay shook his head, “As far as I can remember, never.”</p><p>Jungwon was leaning against the desk in that corner that he had always found himself in back then. He leaned down to open the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a paper airplane, giving it a little toss around the room and watching as the ancient paper dissolved in the air and rained onto the thin carpet. The room fell silent and all eyes landed on him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 3: Spotlight</p><p>Jake hit the tree with a force that should have broken his bones. Two years ago when they had still  been human it would have. Might have even killed him. Sunoo cried out, yelled out for Jay to stop, tears pouring down the tender hearted boys face.</p><p>Can anybody else hear the tune that Jay plays? When I wrote this scene I imagined that eerie music from the end of the music video.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 3: Spotlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>"The lights shine on me, the shining eye of the sun."</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Jake hit the wall with a force that should have broken his bones. Two years ago when they had stillbeen human it would have. Might have even killed him. Sunoo cried out, yelled out for Jay to stop, tears pouring down the tender hearted boys face. Niki grabbed the boy, pulling him to his chest and shielding his face from the fight that was unfolding.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sunghoon had crossed to Jake’s side, inspecting him for cuts and bruises even though it was unnecessary. Jake brushed him off standing to his feet and stepping forward to face off with Jay. Heeseung stepped between them. “Stop this!” He looked into his brother’s burning gaze. “Jay, stop this!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jay tried to push Heeseung aside, refusing to listen to reason. “He’s gone too far. We made a pact when we took this curse. Promised we wouldn’t touch each other.” His furious gaze swept toward Jungwon who swallowed at the glare. The blood from the wound in his neck had crusted over in the crisp fall breeze. He subconsciously reached up to touch his neck and Jay whipped back around to face Jake. “Why did you do it? Why would you cross that line and endanger us all?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t have to answer to you!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jay made to attack Jake again but Heeseung was still between them. “I said that’s enough!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Because of him we’re no longer safe in our own homes. They know there are vampires here now. You’re lucky Jungwon hasn’t turned you over to protect himself. How long do you think we’ll be able to hide the truth through these inspections. What if they shine that light in our eyes during a full moon? What if they force us to open your mouth and see our fangs? What then, Jake? What if we all die because of what you’ve done?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>For a moment no one said anything. It had begun to rain and the sound of the drops hitting the roof were the only sound that echoed through the room. Heeseung dropped his hands from the two boy’s chests with a sigh. “We should go back to the architect. We never should have accepted this curse. We need to be free of it. To be cured.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They all followed Heeseung toward The Island, grateful to get out of the rain when that big whirling door spun for them to enter. The architect was easy to find, the big glass door was open and the cold wind blew through the halls, drawing them toward him. He was bending over a desk writing frantically in his journal and making adjustments on what looked like a crown.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The heavy set man didn’t look up when they entered and Heeseung stepped up to the table where the man worked. “Sorry sir, I know you’re busy but,” The man brushed past him as he crossed to grab something out of a cabinet and then back to the table to write something down, “Please, it’s important. We need a cure. A way to not be vampires anymore. It’s tearing us apart.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The man looked up at Heeseung, “So nothing’s changed. You’re the most powerful creatures in this part of the world and it hasn’t fixed anything.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Heeseung sucked on his lip and looked over his shoulder at Jay and Jake. Jake had his arms crossed over his chest without making eye contact. Jay just nodded his affirmation. He trusted whatever his brother might choose to do. They all did. They trusted him as the oldest of the group. To be honest, it was a weight he was tired of carrying. He was tired of the pressure.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The architect seemed to have forgotten they were there as he moved to make another couple of adjustments on the crown and looked out the open door toward the sky, nodding when a streak of lightening shot across the sky.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He whirled suddenly toward Heeseung, “I may have another option. A way for you to erase what has happened and have a new start.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Heeseung took in a deep breath and nodded, “As long as it brings us together again, we’ll do it. We need a new start.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The man motioned for them to follow him, leading them toward the covered porch and the elaborate metal throne that waited for them there. “Sit on this throne and you’ll get the new start that you desire.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Niki stepped forward, “Let’s do it.” Without giving a second thought to the consequences Niki sat on the throne and let the Architect place the crown on his head. A flash of lightening and a crash shook The Island, Niki slumped forward.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The whole room was staring at Jungwon, the dust from the paper airplane settling deeper into the threadbare carpet. “You’re the one who’s been sending those articles.” Heeseung declared in surprise, Jungwon just nodded. “Explain yourself.”</p>
<p>Jungwon took in a shaky breath, realizing he was about to say something he hadn’t had the nerve to even tell Jay after all these years. “You already know about the throne, you know how it works and have been using it for 200 years.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we all have, what of it?”</p>
<p>“Well that’s where you’re wrong. You all have sat on the throne so many times that you never realized that I never have.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teaser - Chapter 4: Proof</p>
<p>Jungwon almost ran into Jay who had stopped suddenly when they came to a clearing, “We’re here.” Said Jake simply. ‘Here’ was an understatement. ‘Here’ turned out to be a house bigger and more beautiful than Jungwon had ever seen in his entire life. Castle would probably describe it better though there weren’t any turrets.</p>
<p>Were you surprised by Jungwon’s revelation or have you seen it coming? Let me know what you think so far in the comments.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 4: Proof</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“Between giving and taking, I left behind a banner of proof.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Where are you taking us Jake.” Jay complained loudly and Jungwon saw Jake clench his jaw out of frustration.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s right up ahead.” He didn’t say anything else even though Jay continued to complain. Jungwon looked pleadingly at Heeseung, hoping the oldest would tell his brother to keep his mouth shut, but even Heeseung seemed frustrated. The other three were quiet as they followed behind, Niki trailed quietly behind Sunghoon who was panting from the weight of Sunoo on his back. Sunoo had never been very strong and the hike through the woods had taken a lot out of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They were all tired and they were all feeling the frustration at Jake’s insistence they come see whatever it was with their own eyes. Jay was convinced it was revenge for their argument yesterday. They didn’t usually fight, in fact Jungwon couldn’t ever remember a time when they had so much as argued but the cut on Jay’s cheek was a reminder that it had been far more than a simple disagreement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon almost ran into Jay who had stopped suddenly when they came to a clearing, “We’re here.” Said Jake simply. ‘Here’ was an understatement. ‘Here’ turned out to be a house bigger and more beautiful than Jungwon had ever seen in his entire life. Castle would probably describe it better though there weren’t any turrets. In fact there weren’t even doors or windows. Really to describe it best would be to say that it was a giant cube in the middle of the forest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jake was still walking toward that cube, walking straight up to the wall. Niki followed him without a word and the others did the same. The wall began to move, spinning and opening so that they could enter. What kind of magic place was this? What exactly had Jake found?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jake led them through the dark halls and to what looked like a lab. A short, heavy set man with a kind looking face bent over a table, writing in a notebook. He looked up at them as they entered and gave them a kind smile. “You’ve returned, and I see you’ve brought friends.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jake nodded, “They want you to make them like me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The man studied the seven boys for a moment as if determining how serious they were about going through the change. “You understand the consequences? Nothing will be the same for you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Heeseung stepped forward, taking leadership as he always did. “Jake’s explained to us what happens. He told us of the pain, but he also told us of the benefits.” Heeseung looked over his shoulder at the others who nodded their encouragement. “But we’re also tired of being weak.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The man nodded and lifted a vial of blue liquid, giving it a little swirl and nodding contentedly. “It won’t change who you are, not on the inside. Some problems can’t be changed with power.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Heeseung frowned and Jay crossed his arms over his chest but it was Sunoo who spoke, “I think power will fix our problems.” The others nodded their agreement. They were all tired of being weak, of being forced into this box that had become their lives.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“They feel as I did,” Jake said, “I told you I’d give you my blood to be free, they feel the same.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They all nodded. The man picked up a box and opened it. A vial of blood sat beside 6 empty bottles. He picked up one of the vials and attached it to a syringe. “Very well, who’s first.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“We were desperate in our desire to transform.” Jungwon looked at the floor as he began his story of what had happened all those years ago. Memories that only he had dared to hold onto. “We thought that there lay dreams unknown. But...” he took in a shaky breath, “Every road is stained with tears.”</p><p>The room stared at him in horrified silence but he pressed forward in his explanation. “We became vampires to change our lives. But it didn’t change who we were in our deepest core. We had power but it didn’t stop us from arguing or fighting. We tried to erase that choice by sitting on the throne, but the throne couldn’t erase everything. It made you all forget but no matter how many times you forgot, you were still vampires.</p><p>Every time you sat on the throne, you forgot you were vampires, until the next full moon pulled it out of you again. Until your thirst turned you against each other, against me. You all found your reasons to sit on it again and again, but I continued to hold out. It left me ostracized, an outcast among the ones who meant more to me than anything. But I didn’t want to forget. You never understood why I was so distant and I tried my best but some days were harder. Some days I couldn’t walk through that door and pretend that everything was ok.</p><p>“Sitting on that throne became like a drug to you and I was the only one who was sober. You never sat on the throne together, not even that first time. At first it was only Niki and we all helped him remember, telling him only of the good things. But one by one each of you found a reason to return and forget. Every time something went wrong in your lives you returned to that throne, desperate to forget again. But you eventually started to forgot all the good times we’d had together. How the darkness had brought us together in the first place. You began to hold all those things inside and forgot you weren’t alone.</p><p>“I watched you all descend deeper into darkness. Jake and Jay went through constant cycles of arguing and forgetting. Heeseung took suppressants to ease the pain that the transformations caused, returning every time it rained to erase it all. Niki continued to deal with his parent’s abuse, forgetting he had the power to stop it and believing he had no one to turn to. Sunghoon would disappear for long stretches of time, I assume to discover new powers that none of us knew he had until it was too late. Even Sunoo gave into his baser nature.” He reached up to touch his neck at this and Sunoo looked to the ground in shame.</p><p>“When the fire destroyed this village we returned to The Island to find that the architect had disappeared. You all agreed to sit on the throne together and forget everything. Agreed to wake in confusion together and let everything that had happened finally die in the past.”</p><p>Jungwon let his eyes drift toward the airplane, now dust, that lie on the carpet, “Heeseung scribbled out a brief note of explanation. A few words telling you that the people of the village had turned against us and that the things you had forgotten were best left in the past. I had no choice but to go along with it again and again and again while I searched for any evidence I could of what had happened to the architect.”</p><p>Jungwon’s voice faltered and Jay placed a hand on his shoulder and Jungwon let a bright smile fill his face, “I don’t know if I could have held out if Jay hadn’t found me out in that shack. He found me out there and after hearing my story, decided he wouldn’t sit on the throne anymore. That was about a century ago.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Getting close to the end of “Day One”!</p><p>Hope you’ve been enjoying this story so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 5: Turning Point</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“Now I turn the world over.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Jungwon sat on the hard wooden chair, clutching his knees to his chest and looking out the window. A deep fog had settled over the village. Winter was starting to drift in and soon school would be out. It made him sad. He liked school. It was something he was good at. He didn’t like to talk about it with his friends, didn’t like to brag but his teachers always liked to remind him and secretly it made him happy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But more than that he knew that once the snow fell it would be harder to see his friends. They wouldn’t be able to make it up this hill every day. It might be three even four months before he heard Jay play piano. Months before Sunoo would make him laugh again. The thought made him incredibly sad.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sunghoon sat quietly on the couch. Usually Jake sat there with him, their heads pressed together as they chattered quietly. Jake was late today so Sunghoon just watched the others with a soft smile. Jungwon didn’t mind how close Sunghoon was to Jake, none of them did. Sunghoon was always quiet. Being the mayors son had required him to put walls in place that the rest of them would never understand. Jungwon was glad the older boy had someone he could trust and laugh with.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sunoo lay on his stomach on the floor looking at something that Niki was drawing, Heeseung crouched on the floor beside them, laughing at something Sunoo had said. Sunoo looked up and his eyes met Jungwon’she lifted his hand to wave the younger boy over, “Jungwon, come show us how to fold an airplane.”<br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon smiled and unfolded himself from the chair coming to join them. Sunoo handed him a piece of paper and Jungwon began his tutorial as Niki and Sunoo leaned in for a closer look at the folds. Heeseung looked up at the cuckoo clock as the little bird chipped, clicking in and out of the small box and reminding them that it was getting late. Jay and Jake should have been there a long time ago.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As if reading their thoughts, Jay burst into the room. A cut on his cheek sent Heeseung shooting to his feet to inspect his younger brother. “Did the butcher do this to you?” Heeseung demanded ready to go and give a piece of his mind to Jay’s employer who had a tendency to push him around.” Jay shook his head, accepting the wet cloth that Sunghoon handed him quietly and pressing it to his cheek. “Then who did this to you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jay looked at his brother with fury in his gaze. “Jake.” The others looked at each other in shock. They had never fought before not with each other. They were each other’s escape in a world full of pressures.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sunghoon spoke up, his soft voice demanding the others to listen, “Where is Jake now?”</em>
  <em>Jay shook his head, “He ran off into the woods. I don’t know.” Sunghoon looked out the window, the fog now turning into frost on the windows as the sun went down. Worry creased his forehead.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What did you fight about,” Sunoo spoke up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jay shook his head, “It was so stupid. I just told him if he needed help with his chemistry homework we could help. I know he didn’t get a good grade and thought he could use some assistance. He turned on me telling me he didn’t need help, didn’t need pity and that people needed to stop putting him in a box.” Jay sighed. “I was just trying to help him but when I told him that, he threw a rock at me and ran into the woods.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Niki pushed himself up off the floor, “We should go find him, he could freeze out there.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They all agreed though there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t all freeze alongside him. Sunghoon was the first out the door, his resistance to the cold being stronger than the rest. The others grabbed their coats and scarves and chased after them, Heeseung being sure to grab an extra for when Sunghoon realized how cold it was.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When they found Jake two hours later everything was different.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jungwon reached into his the breast pocket on his jacket and pulled out the paper airplane he had folded twenty years ago. The page from a journal he had been looking for, for what seemed like a lifetime. “This is a page from the architects journal. I think he’s been leaving clues for us to follow him.” Jungwon slowly unfolded the paper, careful not to tear the ancient paper.</p><p>Sunoo took the page from him and scanned it. “What’s The Engine.”</p><p>Jungwon shrugged, “I don’t know but I know that’s the first step. We’ve found a couple different pages from the journal and they all talk about this Engine. I think if we find it, we might be able to find our cure.”</p><p>Sunghoon crossed his arms over his chest, sticking his tongue out like he did when he concentrated. “Are you sure we want to keep trying to change things? From what you’ve told us it hasn’t worked out for us so far.”</p><p>Jungwon took a deep breath, “You don’t remember this but he took a vile of our blood before we were turned. A vile of our blood from when we were still human. There was also this blue serum that he was working on and there was this potted tree that had pink wood. There’s definitely more to this that we don’t understand and I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of letting this architect control our futures.”</p><p>Heeseung nodded, “All right, let’s go. Let’s go find The Engine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tomorrow is the last chapter in this part of the story though there’s still so much to tell. If I write a continuation based on the “Let Me In” MV would you guys keep reading?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Part 2: Dawn, Chapter 6: New World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>“I’m walking to you until we reach the new world.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Are you okay?” Jungwon looked down at the blond haired boy who sat in the cold mud. Tears streaked his cheeks but he quickly brushed them away focusing his attention on his pant legs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m fine, it was just a little stumble. My dad’s going to kill me if he sees that I ruined my brand new trousers.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon frowned as the blond boy tugged on his too short trousers, quickly giving up when he realized he was already outgrowing them and pulling his socks up instead. But not before Jungwon saw the scar. I thick round scar around his ankle that had definitely not happened because he had fallen but had perhaps been the cause of it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blond boy seemed determined to hide the mark so Jungwon decided not to say anything but he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life this boy lived. The boy looked like he was going to cry again as he rubbed at the mud on his cuff. Perhaps the statement that his ‘dad would kill him’ was not such an exaggeration. Judging by the look of that scar he was probably already living in hell.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon reached out his hand to help the boy to his feet, thankful when the boy took it. “I think we can get this clean. Sunghoon’s nurse is a miracle worker with stains.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The boy looked at him with hesitant eyes and than over his shoulder toward wherever home was. Finally he nodded. Jungwon smiled, “I’m Yang Jungwon by the way.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blond boy took Jungwon’s hand, “Nishimura Riki...but, you can call me Niki.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jungwon smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Niki. Come on, I’ll introduce you to the others.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jungwon led the others to that shack that he and Jay had been hiding out in for more days than even he could count. It didn’t take long for him to gather his research and for Jay to find the car keys before they were hiking through the woods again. Jungwon didn’t bother trying to explain the truck to the other boys. How could he explain 200 years of technology. It would be impossible.</p><p>He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as soon as they were within signal and spoke into the small box, that had all the other boys staring at him in awe. All except Jay who had climbed into the truck, turning the key to start up the neglected engine and motioning for the others to climb into the back. “Hey, we’re on our way,” Jungwon informed the person on the other line, “And we’re bringing everyone.”</p><p>Jungwon hung up the phone and looked up to see that everyone had climbed into the truck except Heeseung. He stared him down, arms crossed over his chest. “What?” Jungwon shrugged, “You didn’t think I’ve wasted my time these last 200 years did you. I’ve made connections in the city.” he waved the phone as if in introduction, “And Zico’s family has been helping me since his great great great grandmother found me alone in the woods after the fire. They’re the only ones who know what I am and they know about all of you. They’ll help you guys get clothes and ID’s.”</p><p>Jay honked the horn of the truck causing everyone except Jungwon to jump. Jungwon just rolled his eyes and jumped into the back of the truck, Heeseung climbing in behind him. They drove down the dirt road until it turned to asphalt and Jungwon pulled the tarp over them as they pulled out into the sunlight. Jay rolled up the tinted windows and navigated through the city streets and past buildings taller than they had ever seen before. Some taller even than The Island. Sunoo who sat in the front seat, strained, open-mouthed, to see the tops of the buildings as they passed.</p><p>Jungwon was right, Zico was quick to get them outfitted in modern day clothes, he helped them fill the tank with gas and filled their packs with blood vials from the butcher. ID’s turned out to be a bit of a challenge seeing as they were vampires. But it turned out that Zico’s family had spent the last 50 years developing a technology that used something called echolocation and graphic design to produce a picture.</p><p>Sunghoon looked down at his ID with a frown, “Is this really what I look like,”</p><p>Sunoo peeked over his shoulder, “Yeah that’s pretty accurate.”</p><p>“Why do I look so ugly?”</p><p>Sunoo nudged him, “What are you talking about? You’re like the best looking of all of us.” He looked down at his own ID, except for me of course. Turns out I’m pretty good looking.”</p><p>Jungwon rolled his eyes and picked up the cooler of blood vials, Zico had packed for them.</p><p>“I had my people look into it. This place you described, it doesn’t seem to be very far from here.” Zico handed Jungwon a strange looking map with detailed instructions. “It’s only a few hours but I don’t think your GPS will work in the desert. You’ll want this.”</p><p>Jungwon thanked the man as he took the map. Zico’s father hadn’t been very successful at finding the place but technology was changing faster than Jungwon’s ancient mind could keep up with and Zico had used technology that Jungwon couldn’t understand to find it.</p><p>Jungwon climbed into the front seat beside Jay the others curling under the tarp to get some much needed sleep while the sun was still up. Jay had gotten some sleep during the night but even Jungwon found himself drifting off against the window.</p><p>Jungwon didn’t know how long he slept but soon Jay was shaking his shoulder, “We’re here.” The sun was going down. It had nearly disappeared behind the mountains but was not yet low enough to avoid the way his skin steamed in it’s heat. But Jungwon didn’t care. He had waited far too long for this moment.</p><p>He leapt out of the truck, into the hot sand. His skin steamed and he felt blood begin to trickle from his nose but he just brushed it away with his sleeve as he looked up at the large silo. The Engine. This is what he had been searching for.</p><p><br/>The others began to stir and jumped out of the truck to come join him. They looked up at The Engine, curious looks on their faces. They were here with him. They didn’t remember but they were here ready to do whatever needed to be done to restore what they had lost.</p><p>As they looked up at that silo, the fraying cloth that had once closed it off to the elements blowing in the breeze, the sun descended those last few inches below the mountains. It was dusk and soon it would be night again. “It’s crazy to believe that it’s only been a day since I woke up to this whole crazy adventure.” Sunghoon thought out loud.”</p><p>Jungwon nodded. Yeah, it was only day one.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well this is the end of “Day One” </p><p>I didn’t get a chance to do pictures yet since I’m going to be out of town most of the day. But I will try to post them later tonight. I am planning on posting an “Epilogue” for ‘Let Me In’ but it might take me a few weeks to plot it out and figure out where I’m going with it so stay tuned and thanks so much for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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